New Era: The Johto League
by Sutefi
Summary: Audrey disobeys her father and leaves home to compete in a pokemon league, taking a reluctant pichu with her. During her journey through Johto she befriends a gym leader in-training, a coordinator, and a budding pokemon researcher. Set in the future of the anime.


She slid open the window, a chilly breeze tickling her face. It was early morning and the sun was just starting to rise; Pallet Town lay still and quiet beneath her. She clambered upon the windowsill, her heart pounding in her chest. _Was she really going to do this?_

Before even giving herself the opportunity to change her mind, she kicked her leg over the windowsill and began lowering herself down the wall of her house, using the vine-wrapped trellis. The climb was easy enough but it was an ungraceful landing, and she stumbled into some nearby shrubbery.

She brushed the leaves off her clothes and gave one last look at her family home, her heart becoming heavy with the thought of how much she would miss her father and sister.

It wouldn't be long before one of them found the note she'd left on her bed…

…_I'm leaving to follow my dream of competing in a pokemon league._

_I've__ borrowed a pokemon from the professor. Please tell him I'm sorry that I lied and that I'll send it back when I catch a pokemon of my own._

_All my love…_

She turned away from her house, her resolve hardening. She hitched her backpack up and, with determination clear on her face, headed for Route 1.

* * *

Audrey hadn't intended to take the pichu; at least, not originally. If June hadn't of angered her so much with her teasing… if June had taken the pichu herself, like the professor wanted...

Audrey clenched her fists, remembering June's cold words: '_That pokémon is more troub__le than it's worth!__ I've got better things to do with my __time than to train it!'_

'_But the professor said it needs a trainer to help it control it's electrical discharges!' _Audrey had persisted.

'_Well you'll have to tell my uncle to find someone else to do it because I'm not interested okay?'_

'_June-'_

'_Bye Audrey, have fun looking after other people's pokémon while I compete in the Johto League.'_

Audrey came into a small clearing and sat herself down on the river bank. She'd been walking through Route 1 for a few hours now, and felt she could do with a break. She took a rice ball from her backpack to snack on while she continued to reflect on the events of the previous day.

It had started with her awaking to a feeling of crushing disappointment: she'd been having a wonderful dream about receiving her very first pokémon from Professor Oak.

In the dream, Audrey had overslept on the day she was to leave for her journey, so when she arrived at the laboratory there were no pokémon left for her. It seemed like all was lost until Jared, the professors nephew, arrived bearing a pokémon that he'd caught for her himself. Audrey was awestruck when the legendary Ho-Oh emerged from the poké ball. She, Jared, and Ho-Oh were about to leave on their journey together when her pidgeotto alarm clock sent her crashing back into reality.

'_Audrey, you've been gazing at Ho-Oh all morning,'_ her dad had commented during breakfast. _'I know you like that painting, but don't let it distract you from eating – remember, the professor needs you to help out at the lab this morning.'_

Audrey tore her eyes away from her mother's masterpiece. _'It's just … I had this amazing dream I was going on a pokemon journey with Ho-Oh as my partner.'_

'_Ooh, I bet Ho-Oh looked just beautiful,'_ her sister had sighed.

'_It looked just like the painting, Immy … I'd take even the smallest, weakest magikarp, if it meant I could go on a pokémon journey though!' _Audrey devoured her toast, her large grey eyes becoming glazed and distant. _'One day, I'm going to see Ho-Oh for real, just like mum did …'_

It was then that her father slammed his coffee mug down upon the table, and the same old argument erupted between the two of them:

_You know I won't allow you to travel so __please__, save your talk for more worthwhile dreams!'_

'_Becoming a pokémon master is my __only__ dream! It always has been and always will be!'_

'_You have only just turned twelve; you can't possibly say what your dreams will be in years to come! Pokémon journeys are dangerous, and becoming a pokémon master is a fruitless fantasy!'_

'_Mum always said I can do anything I put my mind to, and that I can have anything if I want it badly enough! She understood, so why can't you?'_

The feeling of guilt currently twisting in her stomach made it hard for Audrey to finish her rice ball. Her father was very protective of his daughters, so she knew he would be worried when he realised she'd gone… perhaps he was even searching the route for her right now. With that thought in mind, Audrey stood up and continued walking, following the rushing river.

It wasn't just disobeying her father that was causing her to feel guilty, though. There was the fact she'd lied to the professor's face too…

'_Thanks for all your help with preparing the starter pokemon, Audrey,' _the professor had said, after showing out the last new trainer of the day. _'Did you explain to June about the situation with Pichu?'_

'_Yeah, I did.'_

That much was true. Audrey had told June what the professor had explained to her earlier: That a newly hatched pichu was having trouble getting on with the other pokémon because it kept spontaneously electrocuting anything nearby.

June had grabbed the poké ball from Audrey's hand before she'd even finished, instantly propelling it in the air. The tiny yellow pokémon appeared before them, red cheeks sparking at the sight of the unfamiliar humans.

'_That's a pichu?'_ June had said, scrunching her nose. She crouched down and peered at it. _'It's pathetically tiny.'_

Within seconds she was screeching, as a brilliant light engulfed her body. Pichu was electrocuting her! When the attack finally stopped, June dropped to the ground, looking very dazed and disorientated. Audrey quickly took the poké ball from her and returned Pichu to it before it could run off.

'_So,'_ the professor had urged, _'did she take Pichu with her?'_

Audrey could feel the poké ball in her pocket, resting against her hip, and heard June's words echoing in her head; '_That pokémon is more trouble than it's worth. I've got better things to do with my time than to train it.'_

_'Yeah…'_ Audrey had found herself saying to him. _'She did.'_

Audrey sighed to herself at the memory; she hated herself for lying to him but, as she kept reminding herself, she wasn't_ stealing_ the pichu… she was merely borrowing it until she caught a pokémon of her own…

Audrey was distracted from her thoughts by a loud rumbling sound from above. She tilted her head up; a grim blanket of dark clouds thickly covered the overhead sky. Audrey crossed her fingers, dearly hoping they weren't storm clouds.

If she wanted to catch a pokémon before reaching Viridian City, it was probably best she did it sooner than later. She walked on through the grassy route, keeping her eyes and ears peeled for any that might be hiding in the trees or bushes surrounding her. She'd encountered a few ratata already, but they had all scurried off the moment they'd noticed her and any spearow and pidgey that she saw fled too fast as well.

Eventually she heard a rustling sound coming from a nearby bush, so she stopped to wait and see if anything would emerge from it. Soon enough, a tawny-coloured pokemon with large teeth crawled out, its whiskers twitching.

_A raticate!_

Audrey quietly slipped her backpack off and began fumbling inside it for one of the empty poké balls that she'd taken from the laboratory. _No, wait I need Pichu's poké ball first, _she reminded herself. She started to become aggravated when she couldn't find it; the raticate could flee any second! Becoming desperate, she tipped her backpack upside down, shaking it until all the poké balls had dropped out, one of them rolling along the ground, towards the raticate.

The raticate reached it before she did; she watched on in horror as it clutched it in its small claws, and suddenly brought its lengthy teeth down upon it.

'No! Not Pichu's poké ball!' she screeched, as the raticate began gnawing the item like it was nothing more than a nut. Suddenly, a light erupted from the ball, startling the raticate, who dropped it from its mouth and scurried away. Audrey watched on as Pichu emerged, glowing light blue. The light faded, and the small pokémon looked around at its surroundings with confusion.

'No…' Audrey said to herself, clutching the sides of her head in panic. She was almost certain that a blue light meant…

She hurried over to pichu's poke ball. 'It's totally unfixable!' she wailed, as Pichu came over to inspect its former poke ball, looking distressed at the sight of it broken into several pieces. 'Pichu,' Audrey said, holding an empty, unbroken poke ball out to it. 'Please, I need you to let me catch you in this.'

Pichu began edging away from Audrey, cheeks crackling with electricity. With nothing to lose, Audrey threw the poké ball at Pichu anyway. When it hit, it flew open and Pichu transformed into red energy which the poké ball then enveloped. It dropped to the ground and began to shake back and forth before suddenly springing open again. Audrey wasn't surprised it hadn't worked; she knew you were meant to weaken a pokemon before catching it.

'Great,' she groaned, as Pichu reappeared. 'Instead of catching any pokemon I've ended up losing one!'

As if things couldn't get any worse, she felt cold raindrops starting to fall upon her skin – lightly at first, then heavily soon after. She was soaked to the bone in a matter of seconds. She hurried over to her bag, quickly repacking the scattered items, and slinging it on her back. She gathered Pichu in her arms, ignoring its protests. 'We need to find some shelter!' Audrey yelped, running down the side of the river, mud squelching beneath her high-tops.

Suddenly there was a loud crash of thunder, and Audrey felt her foot catch on a tree root. She went tumbling towards the ground as Pichu, startled by the noise, started sparking with electricity, causing Audrey to drop it like a hot potato. She scrambled to her muddy knees, whipping her head round in search of Pichu. She saw something yellow being swept along in the river, and her heart sank. Before she knew what she was doing, Audrey had thrown her bag to the floor and taken a running leap into the cold water. With all her strength she started swimming over to Pichu, who was fighting frantically against the current with its tiny limbs.

Audrey finally managed to grab hold of Pichu, who continued to splutter and thrash, even in her arms. 'It's okay, I've got you,' Audrey said breathlessly. Pichu's cheeks began to cackle, and horror dawned on Audrey's face; 'NO DON'T-'

She let out an agonising scream, her body writhing in pain at Pichu's thundershock. Then she fell silent, her body becoming as still as the passing driftwood.

* * *

So I posted this chapter a while ago but took the story down to revise it. So here it is ...revised and all.

Thank you for reading, reviews are greatly appreciated.


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